Improved cradle



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO WILLIAM EEDLE, 0E KEYPORT, NEW JEEsEY.

IMPROVED CRADLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,227, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BELLE, of Keyport, county of Monmouth, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Rocking Cradles for Children an d I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, of which- Figure l is a top view; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 a view of the operative mechanism.

rIhis invention relates to a peculiar device for imparting to a childs cradle the swaying or lateral movementsfrom side to side usually given by the hand or foot ot' the nurse when itis desired to put the child to sleep, and it consists of a kind of clock mechanism, (placed underneath the cradle and between the rockers,)

f which revolves a weighted arm that will throuy its weight on either side of the cradle, alternately bearing the sides down, thus imparting to the cradle the desired rocking motion.

Having described the nature of my invention, I will now describe its construction `and mode of operation.

In the drawings, A represents an ordinary childs cradle, with rockers B B. Gis a box attached to the Linder side of the cradle containing the operative mechanism, which consists of a winding arbor or shaft, D, pivoted in the said box, and carrying` a fusee or spiral spring, d and gear d', which impart motion through a train, E, to a pinion, F, said pinion actuating a weighted arm, Gf, carried by the pinion-shaftf. This weighted arm G revolves in a circular casing, H, between the box O and the bottom ot' the cradle, and when it is desirable to stop the arm Gr, and thereby the rocking of the cradle, the brake I is thrown against a ratchet, K, on the pinion-shaft j', as shown in the drawings.

I would here remark that a winding-shaft and pinion may be placed at the end of the cradle, as shown in redv lines, instead of the under side of the box C, if preferred.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The cradle being ready for reception of the child, I, by means of a key or crank L, wind up the fusee d d', and thus obtain the power to revolve the weighted arm Gr. I next remove the brake I from the ratchet K, when the weightedarm Gr will be revolved, and in revolving throw its weight on one side and then on the other side of the bearing-points of the cradle, said cradle, by its gravity, aiding the weighted arm in producing the desired rocking motion ofthe cradle. v y

Having described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Ihe weighted arm G, the brake I, and clock mechanism D E F, or their equivalents, when in combination with the cradle A, substantially as and for the purposes described and set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and signature.

WILLIAM BEDLE.

Witnesses A. NEILL, THEO. F. HEINIG. 

